Surf-coaster.



A. N. NELSEN SURF COASTBR.

APPLICATION FILED APB 24, 1913.

' ed and embodied in difi'erent ,inFi i.

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Amman l\T. iwmsea, or monastics; caL ceNra-assma a or tan-Hats 'i'o" HENRY J. woons, or HOLLYWOOD, cantrdau'rn;

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Application filed April 24. 1913. I Serial in. 763,450.

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that I, Amman NICHOLAS NELsEN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Longbeach, in the county of l os Angeles and tate of California, have 1nvented a new and usefulSurf-Coaster, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coasters for use in the surf atbeaches to enable the user to ride the breakers.

It is designed, to serve as a pleasure device and as a life saving device for the use of bathers and others at pleasure resorts and elsewhere. 7

An object of the invention isto provide a surf coaster of cheap, simpleand strong construction which is superior in buoyancy to surf coasters heretofore made and which will be easier to handle, affording a more certain hold to the hands of the user; which will be more comfortable to thebody of the user, and which will not be likely to dip into the water or into the sand while the user is coasting the breakers or otherwise using n devices of this character heretofore invented the desirable up-tilting of the forward end of the coaster enabling it to skim over the water was effected insome instances by up-bending or curving the forward end of the coaster. A,

In cont'radistinot ion to the foregoing an object ofthis inventionis to maximize the skimming effect and this I do by aking the buoyant chambers at the ends o differentjbuoyant values and in other words b -ma'kinE thefrontchamber larger than the rear 0 amber so that even when the coaster not progressing over. the water the front end will tend to rise, and ride upon thewater, 'Qther ob'jects and advantages may a ee'ar' from the subjoined detail deserit'i'on. The; invention may be. .vai' i'ouslg cons tf'uct- 1 forms? The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention in two forms. 3

of a hydro,-

Ffgure f a per p"ctive' vi surf coaster constructed acoorda'nee' with this invention, parts being b'f'ok'en awa to expose parts that wouldotherwi'se behi en; ig. 2. is aperspective of the rigid structure of said coaster This structure is capable of use as a coaster. Fig.3 is a longitudinal midsec tion of the coaster shown is we e na er i of a toaster en'ib'odying'the invr'ititir in thin their under extend the invention and the comforto another form. Fig.5 is an enlarged erosssection on line 03 Fig. 3. Fig. 6 isan enlarged seotion on line a, Fig. 4. Fig. is a fragmental, view part y in longitudinal mid se ction showing a orm in which the coaster is cast aluminum.

It is understood that the coaster may be made of various mate rials of various dimensions without departing from the spirit of this invention.

h The rigid frame comprises two side members i, 2 made of wood or-aluminumor any other suitable light rigid. material, but are preferably of wood, sa1d side members being fastened together bycross bars 3, 4t, one of which is located between the transverse line and the front end of the coaster, the

other between said mid line and thetrear end of the coaster. The frontend s of the side members are rounded and are in; creased dimensions, being formed wmli a forward and upward curved surface 5 at Air compartments formin impervlous sheets 7, 8 which maybe of s eet meter or other suitablematerial areapplied to and bent around the rear and front portionsof the rigid frame and are hermetic 11y sealed .to and fastened op the ed es. the s ide members 1, 2, at top and botto and a ound said en s, and are also fasteneil to an hermetically sealed on the front, gindre'ar' cross bars 3, l, respectively. Qne manner in which the, hermetical sealing may he efi'eeted is to apply strips .9. of adhesive mp6, along the edgesover which the sh ets 7 ends are to be applied and then to fasten the sheets in place hy ns, 1 0 driyn through the sheets and tape and into the frame, When the frame s thus complete .a S shown in Fig, 2 it cohstit tes insure kind of surf ooaster and is erasable 6f ert iii fess this.re1a tidh; being this constructe, two buoys ant chambers d, b of distant buoyant values a, the re and. front respectively n the middle portions ofthe' side bars 1,12 j tween the cross bars afio'rd excellent hand es to be grasped in order to handle the cqa te'i' It ,is found. preferable, howeyer, tofurzh'er its use in the general sport of coasting l)? adding a thirdicover ,}1 to formatth'e m1 thpelisgr atliird heiem etically sealed air c sitter 12. This may be efieted' edges and with a swell 6 at their its various ways, and it .is at present deemed preferable to form the middle air chamber by means of a flexible cover which also envelops the frame and the other two covers as shown in Figs. land 3. The third cover is preferably made of closely woven canvas which for the purpose of excluding water from the middle buoyant chamber is treated with a water proof material as, for instance, by immersingthe sheet of canvas in a bath of melted paraflin removing the sheet and allowing the paraflin to congeal. It is understood, however, that any method of making canvas or other flexible material impervious to water and air may be employed,

and in applying the third sheet or cover to the coaster frame, said frame and the sheets 7, 8 may be coated with thick paint before the third sheet or cover 11 is applied. Said third sheet 11 may be formed of a single strip of canvas somewhat wider than the coaster frame, the edges of said canvas -being folded over the sides ofthe frame and tacked or otherwise secured to the sides of the side bars. Said canvas sheet will preferably be stretched tightly over the frame and may be further secured in place by moldings 13 which may be of half round or other cross section and sufliciently broad to cover the seam between the turned over edges. Furthermore, cross strips 14, 15 may be applied at the top and along the cross bars and tacked thereto by tacks, nails or other suitable fastenersas indicated at 16. The under side of the coaster is free from projections whic might form obstructions against a smooth passage of the coaster on the water. After applying the canvas and the strips of molding designed to strengthen the fastenings of the canvas upon the frame, the coaster is allowed to season until the paint becomes thoroughly dried; Then the device is ready for'use.

In practical use the user will grasp the appliance at the middle where the canvas W111 yield under the hands,v thus enabling the user to fix his grasp upon the side rails;

and when the bather proposing to use the coaster has reached his stationat or beyond the breakers he will lace the rounded end 17 against his mid e. and thenextending the coaster forward he will allow it to plunge forward in the usual manner -of coasting, whereupon the buoyant coaster will carry him shoreward. Screw eyes 18 may be screwed into the front ends of the side bars and a line 19 attached'thereto. Said line may be in the form of a loop by which the coaster may be drawn out or back by the bather or by an attendant.

7 By reason of the swell 6 at the front end of the side bars, the front of the air chamher I) is of larger dimensions than the rear air chamber a; and since the front sheet is bent over the enlarged ends of the side bars so as to .keep the same contour, they provide? air-enlarged or bulbous air chamber at the front end of the coaster so that said front end is more buoyant than the rear end thus tending to keep the front end of the coaster up when in the water. While it is understood that the dimensions may be varied, a convenient size will be such that the coaster corresponds in width to the width of the body of the person to use it and in length to the length of the trunk, neck and head 1 of the body of the person to use the coaster; so that the air chamber at the front will extend as a protection for the-head of the bather thus preventing liability of diving into the sand. The rounded under side of the front chamber also serves after the nature of a toboggan to enable the appliance to slide easily over the water and over the sand as the coaster approaches. and reaches the shore.

In ractical use the bather will place the roun ed rear wall of the rear chamber.

against his middle where it will rest comfortably, while the bulbous air chamber extends up above and in a measure-over his head. Then with a forward lunge or diving motion he will brin the coaster onto the water and will ride t ereon in suchmanner 1 with a bulbousair chamber larger at 'the front than at the rear. y p r 2. A surf coaster provided at its ends with air chambers, the air chamber at the front end being' of greater buoyant value than the air cham er at the rear end.

3. A surf coaster provided at its ends with stifl walled air chambers, and between said ends with a flexible walled air chamber extendin from one stifl' walled air chamber to the ot er, there being at the side of said flexible walledchamber bars to serve as han- 4. A surf coaster comprising av framecom posed of side-bars, and cross-bars spaced apart from the ends of the side-bars and from each other, a flexible cover extending over the frame from one. cross-bar to the other, and metal sheets fastened to the frame and bent around the ends thereof to form air chambers.

5. A surf coaster comprising afran'ie combars and two crosa'bars posed of two side uniting the frame and spaced apart from each other, metal sheets applied on and hermetically sealed and fastened to the side bars and cross bars and spaced apart from each other, and a flexiblecover over the mtermediate space to form an --intermediate air' chamber.

6. A surf coaster compnsmg a. frame composed of two side bars and two cross bars outside cover for the frame and the air chamber.

7. A surf coaster comprising a frame, buoyant devices at the end of the frame, and a flexible cover extendin over the frame between said buoyant devlces.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 15th day of April, 1913.

ALFRED N. NELSEN.

In presence of JAMES R. TOWNSEND,

L. B LLE WEAVER. 

